[Chapter 5]

After the group returned to the Tower, the day was spent lazily for a while as Edward was reviewing the archives and downloading copies of news articles and videos for further reading. Eventually, though, Nightwing called out to Solor.

"Hey, Vilea is on the comms line. Something about a sparring match or something of the like", the leader told him.

"Oh, crap!" Solor stated, slapping a palm to his forehead. "I completely forgot!"

"Forgot what?" Edward asked. The two were on the roof, meditating about the day when Nightwing had called them.

"I spar with Vilea every now and then", Solor said. "It's our way of showing her that we intend to keep our end of the bargain and end hostilities with her clan. I'm hoping, someday, that I'll convince her to bring the clan back to Lair, so the Circle may be complete."

"Complete?" Edward asked. "The Circle has been going on for millennia without the darkness. Why are you interested in bringing them back now?"

"Well..." The bronze dragon scratched the back of his head. "... my life with the Titans has made me think of the world differently than when I lived in Lair. Despite the good that we do, we also have to deal with the bad. The amount of money our destructive battles cost, the times when we know we have to fall back so we may fight another day... when an enemy cannot be saved... even my daughter is an embodiment of taking the Light and the Darkness." Solor gave Edward a smile. "As much trouble as they've caused... we still need the Darkness in our lives as much as we need the Light, right?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, "Point taken. Just like back home, for the most part."

"Say, Edward?" Solor asked, "Would you like to watch? Maybe record for whatever reason?"

Edward nodded, "And pass up this chance to enhance my report, but, also answer Vicky's curiosity as to her twin? Let's rock!"

The two headed downstairs, where a familiar face was on the screen. However, unlike her twin, this Vilea had shorter hair, and a bored expression on her face. "Took you long enough, Mosquito", she said to Solor as soon as she saw him. "Nightwing told you about two minutes ago..." She blinked, seeing the newer dragon. "Who's that?"

"Sorry for making you wait", Solor said, ignoring the "Mosquito" comment. "This is Edward. He'll be observing our spar today. I... honestly forgot that we were doing that today."

"Ugh, you're hopeless", Vilea said. "How does Soskrein put up with you at all? So, am I allowed to use a Tear to the desert? I'll talk to Edward there; I don't like these communicator things."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll meet you there", Solor responded. "If you want, I can bring Soskrein, as well."

"... I don't think that's a good idea, but hey, you're her father. You can do what you want", Vilea stated after a moment, though Edward could see a twinge of fear in her eyes. "I'll meet you there." With that, the line went dead.

Edward chuckled, "Mosquito, eh? Vicky doesn't call Starborn that. Then again, they've been friends for a while now. She even spoke up to save Sosfil's life at her trial a few months back. Unlike here, her jealousy got the better of her...I think I told you that, though."

But, his face grew concerned, "I noticed that she actually had a slight hint of fear in her eyes right before she dropped the connection. She really is fearful of Sosvolun."

"Please don't talk about that..." Solor said. "She may have meditated, but I'm still afraid something might happen. That's why I want to bring her; perhaps, if Vilea got a better look, we could figure out how to tackle this problem together. Besides, I think they could get along if she met Soskrein and not her Darkness."

He then chuckled a bit. "And, besides, she's the only one who gets to call me that. She knows I'm stronger than her, and I think she wants to be friends... but she doesn't really know how to act around us. Her insults are her defense, so don't take anything to heart."

He opened a Tear, looking over at Edward. "Shall we get going, then? I'll contact Susie via the link, and let her know where we are."

"Works for me," Edward replied, "Besides, I've been called a few choice names, especially when Starborn was plenty ticked at me." They stepped through the Tear and were met by Vilea.

"So, the mosquito has a new friend?" she sneered before taking a really good look.

"What in Oblivion? Why am I seeing Darkness and other clans?"

"I'm a hybrid, Heiress to the Darkness," Edward said, "I am from an alternate, yet similar universe where the Grand Light's first mate was able to lay a single egg. She mated with members of all clans, including Darkness. In fact, there, the Dark DNA tied the other pieces together."

She raised an eyebrow, "My father mentioned to me a long time ago that he was approached by a Light Dragon who was trying everything she could to have an egg...And I see him within you. I will allow you to observe this spar."

"Thank you, Vilea", Solor said. "This is important for his mission; he needs to see as many differences between our worlds as possible. In their world, your clan has rejoined Lair, and are working on regaining their trust."

"Then they were foolish, just rushing in like that", Vilea said, sighing. "The war ended ten years ago, Solor. Hatred like that runs deep still. I can't go back to Lair, knowing that my people will be hurt, despite what the Circle commands."

"Well, that's why I'm here, isn't it?" Solor said, shifting to his hybrid form. "I need to show you I'm not going to hurt you, no matter what."

Vilea sneered, before shifting into her own hybrid form. "Still so naive... I don't understand you, Mosquito, but if you want to throw down, I'll be happy to oblige." She immediately charged, striking at him with claws encased in Darkness, while he used his own radiating attack, countering her attack with his own. Edward, meanwhile, decided to back up, pulling out his communicator and starting the recording.

[So... Dad's sparring with her again?] Susie piped up in his head.

[Good guess,] Edward replied, [They just started. Vilea is a lot different than Vicky is, though. Regardless, your dad said you could join us, so, come on over.]

[What if she makes an appearance?] Susie asked.

[Trust in your loved ones to snap you out of it,] Edward reminded her, [They are here to help you, Soskrein of the Twilight, not to harm you or your Dark child.]

[I hope you're right,] she said, [I'll be over in a few moments.]

As they spoke, Solor and Vilea had been trading blows, kicking and punching at each other and landing hard hits on each other. Even now, Edward could see that Solor's left eye was swollen, while Vilea's scales were marked with deep scratches. At this point, they had taken to the air, breathing fire at each other, when Susie walked up to Edward, having changed back into her Titan uniform.

[Looks like they're overdoing it again], she mused. [They fight with so much strength, it's hard to tell if they're holding back or not. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought they were fighting for real.]

[It's part of the culture, sweetheart,] Edward said, [I've seen and been in rather vicious sparring matches and even though sometimes there are injuries, this isn't a fight to the death or BloodBath. At least I will take the time to show both one of my other tricks.]

[What would that be?] she asked.

[A healing touch. It's part of my Life heritage, I found out,] Edward replied, watching Vilea landing a vicious punch that caused Solor to grunt in pain before smacking her with a tail strike.

Vilea shrugged off the blow, seeing how it wasn't that effective. Solor was too close to her to really use that to an advantage.

"Your dad needed to be farther away for that to work well," Edward said aloud, "But, brownie points for the attempt."

Vilea smirked, "Is that all you got, mosquito? Surely my father's killer would not want to be defeated in front of the visitor and Susie?"

"Sticks and stones, Vilea," Solor said, "Edward knows of my strength. I do not feel the need to...HEY!" Vilea had shot off some of her dark fire, forcing Solor to dive and counter with his light beam. That struck Vilea in the underbelly, getting a reaction out of her.

As the dragons watched, Vilea's blessing activated and it was obvious that she was quite angry as the sky dimmed for miles around, as if there was a total solar eclipse.

"This is not good," Edward said, "Does she usually go full Darkness in a spar?"

"Dad must have triggered her anger", Susie said, clenching her fists a bit. "He can handle this, but I'll contact Mom if it starts going too far."

"Oh, crap..." Solor said, activating his own blessing. "Vilea, this is a little much for a spar, don't you think?"

"You're the one who said he wouldn't hurt me, you jerk!" Vilea roared, charging forward and striking at him with a swift kick to the knee, forcing him to bend over. She attempted a second kick to his head, but he caught her and sent her flying into a canyon wall.

"Ugh... I hate it when this happens..." Solor stood back up, cracking his knuckles before taking wing again, soaring to her and attempting to get her into a submission lock. "Vilea, calm down. We don't want a repeat of our first spar, do we?"

"Back off, bug!" She snarled, punching him hard in the gut, before pinning him to the wall. "I think you should get some payback, little firefly!" She reached back, her claws extending a bit before she attempted to cut him, with Solor grabbing her wrist with his own tail.

"Okay, this is getting a bit rough... Edward, could you- OH SHIT!" Solor started to call out to Edward, but his attention was now focused on Susie.

The hatchling had her hood up, and her aura had changed completely. Now, instead of a calm, balanced vibe, she gave off an angry, bloodthirsty presence as her own wings unfurled, her now violet eyes staring at Vilea.

"Get your claws off of my FATHER!" she screamed, suddenly charging into the fray.

Edward stared at the transformation and reaching out via the link, [RAVEN! We need you here, now! We've got a problem.]

[Oh my god!] she replied, [I'll be there in a moment, she may not respond to you. Try to let Solor snap her out of it, but, stand ready to intervene.]

"Sosvolun!" Edward called out in the Dragon tongue, "Stop this, please. It's a blasted sparring match!"

She totally ignored Edward's plea and headed straight towards Vilea.

[Stay put!] Solor called out quickly, [I hope you called Raven!]

[I did,] Edward said, [She also asked me to stay out of this, but, if she cannot be controlled, I will intervene regardless of the results.]

[Don't worry, I can handle this], Solor said. [... I hope.] He turned to Vilea. "Lower your head and avoid looking her in the eye", he told the Dark Heiress.

"She'll kill me!" Vilea said, her blessing fading as she stared at the hatchling in fear. "If I do that, she'll take the opportunity and finish me off!"

"You have to trust in her", Solor said to Vilea. "Trust in your daughter."

"Do it, Vilea!" Edward yelled, "it's the only way to interrupt this attack!"

The Heiress turned to Solor, the shock evident as she attempted to speak again. Reluctantly, she lowered her head, averting her eyes as Solor stood in front of her. "Soskrein, calm down!" he told her. "I am fine, I'm not harmed... well, mostly not harmed."

Soskrein, however, snarled at him. "Get out of my way... she deserves to pay for what she did."

"What did she do?" Solor asked calmly, approaching his daughter. "Torture me? Strike me? Hurt me? I have forgiven her in spades, Susie."

"Why?!" she screamed, an orb of darkness appearing in her hand. "Why would you forgive someone as twisted as her?!" Edward readied himself to restrain Susie, just in case. His scales darkened from bronze to copper as a light aura enshrouded his hands, but, he refrained from going any further.

"Because without her, I wouldn't have you!" Solor yelled out, causing the hatchling to freeze. "Without her taking my DNA, you wouldn't be alive! Without her putting that DNA into her own egg, I would never have found my redemption for killing your brothers and sisters! Please, Susie... let your anger go!"

The hatchling stared at her father, a look of mixed confusion and anger apparent on her face. Slowly, the orb vanished, and her purple eyes went back to red. "She's... she's my... mother?"

"She is", Solor said. "I figured it out a long time ago... and I wanted to confront her about it... but all she ever wants to do is fight. I could never find a good time to ask."

Vilea continued averting her eyes, but for a different reason now; her crimson eyes were shining with unshed tears, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Edward moved to besides Vilea, just in case

"Spar's over, you two," Edward said gently, his color returning to bronze and the light aura faded, "Susie, sweetheart. It's all right now.

"Vilea, you said that your counterpart was naive for returning to Lair. You're wrong, Heiress. Dead wrong. In the version of the War that ended a decade ago...I was the one that was the first to forgive her and when she changed sides, it was partially because of that and partly because she had debts to repay. One was to Starborn, another was to Starborn's mate and another to me. The Circle accepted, after much discussion to allow the clan back. It was a show of good faith that was extended even though it was not earned or deserved.

"Heiress, with respect towards your titles, you are the naive one here. You have a daughter that should have been part of your life from the moment the war ended. You should have been an aunt at least. Instead, Susie had a dark personality that is every negative emotion, every bit of pain and hurt. Every selfish desire, except for one: The desire to protect her father and someday, I hope you realize this for yourself. The Vilea in my world was strong enough inside to let Starfire raise Soskrein, and, she is strong enough to let Soskrein know the truth about how she came into the world. That Vilea is strong enough to be a part of Lair and taking her place within the Circle. Yet, I see you cowering in fear in front of a stranger who is standing next to you to protect you regardless. I see how weak you are. I see the weakness that prevents you from being in Lair and part of the Circle. All of the clans are stronger for having the Dark Clan coming back. I have fought against your clan in the War...and as Lair's commander, I have welcomed them into Lair's military with open arms. I'm not angry at you, though. Your life path is different than the Vilea I know, and I do respect that."

Vilea looked at Edward with a hidden anger at the rebuke, though. "So what?" she eventually said, wiping her tears away. "So what that I'm afraid? You would be too, if you were in my shoes. One day, I'm an Heiress, and the next, I'm the Grand Darkness. I didn't lay my father to rest, he was killed by the dragon that is working so hard to bring me back to Lair without any harm." She stood up, glaring at Edward. "I don't care if you're a hybrid, or immortal, or if you were there for your Vilea... this is my life. I will keep my people safe from those that would harm us. I keep my soldiers in line, and I make sure that they no longer cause trouble for you all. That should be enough to you all."

Edward said gently, "I fought Oblann, Vilea. Again, I am not angry at you, even though it may seem like it. I am sorry that neither of you laid the Grand Darkness to rest. I will say, though, that back home...Your twin, Starborn, my adjutant general and I sang for Oblaan as did the dragons of Lair. He...deserved that much, Heiress. He got the honor that he did not deserve in life because without Oblaan in that universe and here, he made all of you stronger. Yes, he was one of the dragons who sired me, and, I am working on forgiving him for causing my brother to be raped, drugged and broken within an inch of his life. It was easier to forgive his daughter...my half-sister.

"But, you are correct. This is your life. It's your life to lead as you desire. Sadly, you will never remember this encounter once I go home. But, First Willing, on some level you will wonder about what would happen if you returned to Lair voluntarily. Besides, Heirs have to have each other's backs regardless. That is why I am here, next to you. I do not have to be, but, you are an heiress and a Grand. Vilea, I know what you did to this Solor and, I see that he has forgiven you much like his twin did. I have no grudge against you."

"Oh, that's all well and good," Vilea said angrily, "You come here and read ME the riot act anyway. You called me a coward and weak. You know that's grounds for a dragon to answer that challenge. You have no idea what I could do to you."

"And, you have no idea of what I am fully capable of, either. So, yeah, I could back up my statement in a sparring match or even BloodBath. But, I do not desire to kill you. Your death, Vilea, would be erased from this timeline and it would block this Prime Universe for far longer than a decade...and it would cause me no end of grief from Grand Fire and the other Grand dragons for blowing my mission. I will spar you, though, before I leave," Edward said, "If you feel that your honor is insulted."

"I have little interest in sparring you," she said coldly.

Susie actually snarled at Vilea, but her eyes didn't change again. "I can't believe I'm related to you!" Susie growled angrily at her. "I can't believe that my mother is such a scaredy cat!"

"What?!" Vilea snarled, leaning down and looking her in the eye. "I'm braver than you, you little mutt! I can handle anything you want to challenge me to!"

"Then you'll be here for dinner tonight?" Susie asked. That got all of them startled as she continued. "I... I want to know more about my darkness. And as much as I hate to admit it... you're the best one to ask. So... either you're too scared to face me... or you're going to be at Titan's Tower for dinner tonight."

That took the bite out of Edward's potential reply and he decided to stay quiet.

Solor smirked, as Vilea cursed lightly in Mandarin, realizing she was caught. "Ugh... fine. I'll show up for dinner... but only to prove you wrong." She stood up straight, glaring at Solor and Edward. "You Lair dragons are corrupting her."

"Don't look at me," Edward said smirking, "I only got here yesterday."

"Actually, that would be Raven", Solor said with that smirk still forming. "I had a feeling this might happen. You and her are a lot more alike than you think, but Susie needed Raven's know-how to play you right."

Vilea snorted, actually letting out a small smile. "Fine... you win." She waved her hand dismissively. "I need to head back to my home... I do have some business to attend to. I'll see you later... Filkiin." With that, she vanished into another Tear, leaving the three behind.

Edward smirked, "Well played, Susie! You forced her into a corner. And, having dinner with the team means that she has to face you and Solor on the home turf. This will be interesting to watch. But, I might as well tell you: I will probably stay another day or two at most before heading home. My mission here is almost done, unless there's bonus stuff that my leaders will like to have."

Solor nods a bit. "Well, this was probably gonna happen with or without you", he stated. "So, if you're worried about this resetting, I wouldn't if I were you. I was planning on confronting her today, no matter what happened."

Susie let out a shaky sigh. "Man, that was scary..." she said.

Edward walked over and said, "It's OK to be scared, kiddo. I was scared fighting the Grand Darkness in my realm. He was bigger than me, stronger than me and immortal. Even when the Circle and I attacked him with our Blessings, all we did was cause a gash over his eye. It was one of the few times I called for a retreat and by the time the Circle started to move, several were petrified. Grand Death fled through a Tear and I got the Grand Light out of danger."

[You were scared?!] Solor said, sighing in exasperation. [I had more reason than you to be scared!] He walked over, pulling her into a one-armed hug. [And if I had reason to be scared... oh crap, I forgot about Raven!]

At that moment, a portal opened, and Raven stepped out, immediately walking over to Susie and fussing over her. "Are you alright?" she asked. "You're not hurt, are you? You didn't do anything you shouldn't have?"

"Mom, I'm fine", Susie said. "Dad calmed me down before I did anything stupid."

Raven sighed in relief. "That's good... so, Vilea went home, then?"

"For the moment... she's gonna be joining us for dinner later", Solor told Raven, immediately wincing as she got into his face.

"What?! You invited her into our home?! What were you thinking?!" Raven harped, glaring at him. "After everything she did, you expect me to just-"

"It was my idea, Mom", Susie interrupted. "I... I need her help with controlling my Darkness. She's the only one who can help me now."

"It's a good idea, dear", Solor stated. "Vilea is Susie's biological mother. We need her help, and hopefully this'll open some doors in getting her back into Lair."

"For what it's worth," Edward said, "I'm on board with this idea. Vilea has more answers than I can give Susie. And, Susie, I was prepared to restrain you with my own powers had Sosvolun insisted on attacking. Reset or no, I couldn't stand by had all attempts to calm her down failed. But, it was a last resort since I knew that you'd listen to your dad." He walked over and said, "Even though are not my niece, I am very proud of you. I mean that, kid. You got your darkness under control quickly, and forced your real mom to concede a defeat that if she plays it correctly will help my Soskrein. Hopefully, Vilea will cool off and think about what I told her...for whatever good it will do."

Raven stared at all three of them, before eventually sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Dragons..." she muttered, before taking a deep breath. "Okay... fine. I'll let Nightwing know that Vilea is coming for dinner, and to expect a high protein meal tonight. But if anything goes wrong..." She pointed to Susie, glaring. "You are grounded for a month..." Then she pointed to Solor. "And you are sleeping on the couch for a month!"

Solor sighed, before nodding. "I'll take that risk, Raven. Don't worry, Vilea is a nice dragoness... she just hides behind her wall. Give her a chance."

"Wait, why I am I being punished if anything goes wrong?" Susie asked, glaring.

"Your idea", Edward pointed out.

"... right."

Edward smirked, "And...Raven, dear...I can teleport back from wherever you may want to dump me to..." He stuck out his tongue.

"That's why I'm not even bothering... wait!" She smirked. "Then I'm keeping that ice cream we bought for you if anything goes wrong. Good luck bringing that back to your universe."

That took the smirk off Edward's face, "Ok, you win, Raven." He muttered a few choice words in Greek.

Raven smiled, knowing she got him on that one. "Alright... let's head back to the tower. I'm sure Star's wondering why I rushed out while I was braiding her hair."

Edward and Solor chuckled, seeing Star with half-braided hair.

Edward looked at his communicator and saw that the memory card was about full.

"Would you guys mind if I teleported back in a bit?" Edward asked, "The memory card is about full, so, it's a good time to transmit the files back home and I can put a report in as well."

"That's fine," Solor said, "Vilea won't be there for a while anyway."

The three others left a few moments later and Edward sat down.

"Edward to Alice," he said.

"I'm here, Edward," the soft reply came back.

"I need to upload the memory card videos to your mainframe," he replied, "As well as an updated report for the Circle."

"That's fine," Alice said, "Also, Sol was already here and got your first report. He was pleased so far. You may begin."

"Greetings to the Exalted Circle," Edward began, "My second day has been interesting to say the least, as well as exciting at times.

"The native Solor took me and Susie to Lair after breakfast where I interviewed Maldriin. Mally, you'll be surprised. Your twin is actually older than you and is already nesting over her first brood. Susie asked her how the eggs were doing and Maldriin replied that they were warm and full of life. She claimed a Death dragon whom I was unable to interview. Solor also gave me vital information in how to safely approach a nesting dragoness.

"Then, I was able to interview Golmul. Here, he is retired due to suffering an injury protecting the native Terra! He lost the use of an eye protecting her. Yet, he is not holding a mortal to blame, saying that he now has time to spend with his mate and broods. He is proud to have served the CIrcle during his healthy times.

"But, the big surprise of the day...The native Circle themselves took time out of their duties to not only welcome me to Lair, but, to grant a short audience and to answer a few questions. They are very much like you, to be honest, but, the war here ended very differently. Darkness attacked several mortal cities; more than there, I have discovered.

"It turned out, though, that the previous Grand Death was at the end of his term, though. Somewhat bad timing as he was pushing a plan to sacrifice an entire city to lure the Dark Clan into thinking that the Circle no longer cared. The only 'problem' was Solor. He informed the Titans and the Justice League and the plan was abandoned. Grand Death was livid and wanted to charge Solor with treason. The rest of the Circle supported Solor's reasoning and, regretfully, told that Grand Death it was time to step down. He agreed and his son is now the Grand Death, in fact, that is a constant as the Grand Death here and at home is the same dragon.

"The Circle here on some levels are the same as all of you, yet, I could sense that they are more like how you were before I entered the scene. They were welcoming, yes, but while they agreed to tell me things that were certainly embarrassing, they were not comfortable saying so.

"A note for Sosfil: I also met her twin and she holds the same position I hold: Commander-in-Chief. Sosfil; You'd be proud of your counterpart. Her desire to be the LIght Heiress died when the Traitor was killed. She witnessed the Primal Blessing that ended the Traitor and when she saw it was our brother, she realized that Father was right. His strength showed her that she needed to let it go for good. But, make no mistake. I am proud to call you my sister regardless and am proud of your family. When I was buried under all your children, that made our efforts worth it.

"A short while ago, I was invited to a spar between Solor and Vilea. Here, she's very much like the Vilea from before Vicky defected. But, she's deathly afraid of one whelp: Susie. She's the most different, I see.

"Her inner Darkness assumed control during the spar, frightening Vilea deeply to the point she said that Susie could kill her. Solor managed to break through by finally admitting that Vilea is Susie's birth mother. That shocked Susie enough that her Darkness retreated. I sort of read her off on her weakness in front of strangers and how Vicky has far more inner strength in being part of Lair and being strong enough to have told Soskrein the truth far earlier. She didn't react well to that, as I expected. So, Susie here challenged Vilea...not to a fight...to dinner of all things! Vilea will be dining with us this evening. I risked her wrath as she would have been within her right to answer any challenge to her honor and strength. She decided to let that slide, though. I really did not desire to fight her for real, and, she declined a friendly spar if she really felt that her honor was at stake.

"But, Raven here is not a happy camper. She is not a fan of having Vilea within the Tower at all and threatened dire punishment on all of us. Not being teleported to some distant place or dimension, luckily.

"More to come later this evening, I think, so, I will end this recording here and let Alice download the video before the SD card gets too full."

Alice said a moment later, "Recording ended, but, it will take some time to offload your video, so, we'll have to leave the channel open for a while. Also, the guys heard your recording this. Starborn was most insistent. Sosfil is surprised, yet, the look on her face is one of happiness. She is grinning from ear to ear."

"Alice, you weren't supposed to tell him that", Edward could hear, and he knew the crafty AI had activated the microphone in the living room.

"You know, I can hear you now, Brother", Edward said with a smirk. The video was activated, and there was Starborn, looking a bit sheepish.

"Sorry, Brother", he apologized. "I couldn't resist hearing about this world a little early... especially concerning Lair, Maldriin, Golmul, and Vicky. It is sad that my twin had to confront a member of the Circle on his last leg."

"No apology needed. It happened, but, that is a wealth of information for me," Edward replied, "Filkiin, your twin here has made leaps and bounds in his development. When I was here, he was the old arrogant you. Now, he's as mellowed out as you are. He didn't need me to mentor him, and, I have to say that I am proud of his progress. But, Vilea here is different. She's not as laid back as Vicky is and still angry that her side lost the war. She is not on Lair's side as much as Vicky is and she seems to have a hidden grudge against the Solor of this realm. Only reason she can't act on that is the native Susie. She is having trouble with control of her Darkness. It escaped her control for a few long, tense minutes, as you heard. I fear that she may have this problem for a long time to come. I almost intervened, but, with the link active here, both Solor and his wife asked me to let them handle it. I did prepare to restrain her, but, it wasn't necessary."

"I heard he didn't choose Kreinyol," Starborn said, "But, choosing Raven is an interesting choice. His light, like yours, counters her darkness. Will they have kids?"

Edward sighed, "Not for a while. They are adamant in not lifting the generational curse, and the Breed Traitor law is still in effect. The Circle, as I understand it, made a one time 'Thanks for your help' reward."

Starborn sighed gently. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped... the only reason they repealed the law was because of you and I, and they allowed us to have children as thanks for our dedication." He then gave a smile. "Oh, and Komi and Susie both say they miss you. They're at some after-school clubs, so they couldn't be here."

"Tell the team I'll be back in a day or two, looks like," Edward replied, "Well, unless the Circle needs more information, that is." He chuckled nervously.

"What's wrong?" Starborn asked.

"I am torn," he replied, "The native Susie could use some additional help, yet..."

"Everything there will be erased regardless," Starborn replied, "Edward. Don't transfer your love for the girls onto the ones there. Your mission is for recon only. You do not want to give the Circle here any reason to doubt your abilities to follow their instructions. As much favor as they have shown you before, you know that they will not be afraid to try you should you seem to become lax in your position." He sighed a bit at that, remembering his own dealings with the Circle.

"I know," Edward replied, "I have already seen the Circle's harshness, remember? Also, while you were MIA, the Circle did have to deal with other dragons who broke the rules and for some, it wasn't pretty. As part of the Heir's training, we were allowed to spectate and learn the laws that we'll have to enforce. I've already told the guys here that I intend to depart in a day or two at most. I know, though, that Susie is in good hands and I'll be able to get some valuable advice to help Soskrein. And, yes, you will be given that information as well. We've been lucky so far that she hasn't had a reason to really unleash her own Darkness. But, if a 1500 year old Heiress is frightened that a 12 year old whelp can kill her, it gives me reason to be concerned. Susie will be fine, though. I hope that when Solor here tells her the truth or Vilea is forced to admit it, Susie will begin to forgive her hatching mother. She's got time on her side to let the grudge go."

Starborn thought carefully about that. "Well, our Susie doesn't have to participate in missions, and thus isn't as experienced in combat as theirs. Perhaps it's using her powers so much that has caused Vilea to become afraid... or perhaps it is because she and I are both direct descendants from the First Circle, and that has caused our child to become that much stronger... you'll have to listen very carefully to what Vilea says during your dinner with her tonight. She may drop something on us that we haven't considered and will need to put into practice here at home."

"If I can get her to open up, I can ask her," Edward said, "She's not happy with me. Whatever. She may have information that we can use and if I appeal to whatever mother's instinct Vilea here may have, it might work. But, the thing is, she's every bit the Vilea who was there before the war ended. Before I got to know her, that is. I might strike out for once.

"I wish we could bring Vicky in on this one."

Starborn looked carefully at the screen. Finally, he sighed. "Well... it appears that some events have taken place that might reset the boundaries again. Plus, I know you might feel a bit alone, since you know this will end once you return... so I've been talking to father, to try and convince him of something."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Edward asked.

"Allowing us to send Rachael to you", Starborn stated, getting a wide-eyed response. "I'm certain the Raven there is providing hospitality for you, and I'm certain my twin has been as honorable as I have... but we also know you spent a lot of time without your mate during my absence. In our best interest... I'm quoting the Circle here... 'Perhaps it would be best if we sent Kiinnum's mate to him, to ride through these waves together.'"

"Considering that Father said that the boundaries would reset regardless," Edward recalled, "I'm sure Rachael would love to come over. The guys here would be really stunned, I think..." He chuckled at the thought of seeing his mate again, "I will have to ask your counterpart, though. I think that unauthorized tears are really frowned upon."

"No problem", Starborn said. "Just send a short message whenever you get confirmation." There was a loud beep. "Oh, looks like the file transference is complete... I'll review these before sending your report over to the Circle."

"That's fine," Edward replied, "Let me know if there's any ideas why Susie here is having problems with her control. If Soskrein is curious, she can watch her counterpart, but, tell her that she is going through what she is worried about. I should head back and see if Solor needs an extra pair of hands cooking. We made some awesome pizza as well.

"Before I forget, I need a little recon done there. Solor here introduced me to an ice cream shop with some great stuff. I'll text you the address and I want to see if this guy, Jimmy, had a counterpart there hawking ice cream he is not making in-house. If he's not, I think the Titans can help him out financially. The native Raven's not going to like it...but, Rachael's going to be running some of that Ice Cream back before dad closes the tear. Have her bring some cash as well, say $50 or so."

"I'll take a look", Starborn confirmed. "Be careful over there, Brother." With that, the line went dead, giving Edward some silence to prepare for Vilea's return.